Winding and reeling mechanism



Aug. 19, 1952 R. E. ZENNER 2,607,544

' I WINDING AND REELING MECHANISM Filed Aug 16, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 1 'llll a HHIHMI W llllll lllLlllllH mum ZZZVE'N/UF )QAyMo/vz) ZENNER.

5519 /20000512 I 5y I Q l 9, 1952 R. E. ZENNER 2,607,544 I WINDING AND REELING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 HUI IHHHHH .[HI EHZbP' RAYMOND f. ZENNER.

Hi /g5 Aug. v19, 1952 R. E. ZENNER 2,607,544

WINDING AND REELING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1946 :5 Sheets-Sheet :5

RAXMOND E. ZENNER.

is shown at 9, this medium being wound on the spools in such direction that when they are roto engage gear [3. A clutch shown generally at I9 connects gear I! to shaft I.

A plan view showing the arrangement of gears I3 and I1, together with pawl I5 and shafts 5.

and 1 is shown in Figure 3, this view being taken through section III-HI, Figure 2.

The operation of my reeling mechanism in one direction may now be described by considering the connection described above. If, for example, the spools are initially at rest and shaft 5 is rotated in the clockwise direction as seen from Figure 1, pawl l5 engages ratchet II, thereby causing gear' I3 to rotate in accordance with the rotation of shaft 5. This causes gear 11 likewise to rotate and thereby drivesshaft I through friction clutch I9. The direct clockwise motion of shaft 5 correspondingly rotates spool I, thereby causing that spool to unwind whereas motion of shaft I in the opposite direction (counterclockwise as seen in Figure 1) due to gears I3 and I! causes spool 3 to wind. Thus, when spool I is rotated in the clockwise direction as seen from Figure 1, the medium 9 is wound from spool I to spool 3.

The ratio of-gears I3 and I7 is chosen in proportion to the relative diameters of spools I and 3 to cause spool 3-to take-up wire at a more rapid rate'than spool I releases wire when shaft 5 is rotated as above described. Thus, for/example, if one turn of spool I releases three inches of wire, the gears are so'chosen that the corresponding rotation of spool 3 would take-up some greater length of wire, as for example four inches. Since spool 3 attempts to take-up more wire than spool I releases, the wire is placed in a taut condition. However, the tensile'stres's on the wire is limited by the slippingaction of clutch 19 which permits relative rotation of gear Il without exerting excessive torque therebetween. a V

If spool I is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from Figural, spool I tends to wind and spool '3 tends to unwind. However, ratchet I'I tends to rotate in the counterclockwise direction with respect to gear I3 (see Figure 3) and in this condition pawl I5 slips over the ratchet Ii and no driving engagement exists between shafts 5 and I through gears I3 and I1. Thus it will be seen that the mechanism comprising ratchet II, gears I3 and IT, pawl I5, and clutch I9 permits spool I to be unwound by rotation of shaft 5 in the clockwise direction in' a manner maintaining the wire in a taut condition'but causes no cooperative engagement between shafts' 5 and I when shaft 5 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction.

I It is the purpose'of ratchet wheel 2 I, pawl 23,

gear 25, gear 21, and the clutch shown generally at 29 to cause wire 9 to be wound from 'spool- 3 to spool I when shaft I is.;rotated in the clockwisedirection as seen in Figure 1. To this end,

ratchet .2l.;is fixedly mounted upon shaft I so as to rotate with that shaft. Pawl 23 is mounted on gear 25 so as to cause rotation of that gear when ratchet wheel 2I tends to rotate in the clockwise direction relative to gear 25 and not otherwise, gear 25 being rotatably mounted on shaft I. Gear 21 is rotatably mounted on shaft 5 and adapted to coact with gear 25. The clutch shown generally at 29 is mounted on shaft 5 so as to connect gear 2! thereto, thereby tending to cause shaft 5 to move in accordance with the motion of gear 2! but permitting relative motion therebetween.

The ratio of gears 25 and 21 is so chosen relative to the diameters of spools I and 3 that when shaft 7 is rotated in the clockwise direction the rate spool 3 releases medium 9 is less than the rate at which gear 2! rotates spool I to take-up that medium. Thus clutch 29 slips and maintains wire 9 in a taut condition.

In the event shaft 5 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as seen in Figure 1, spool I winds in medium 9 and thus tends to rotate spool 3 in the clockwise direction by tension of that medium. Simultaneously, gear 25 is rotated by the mechanism comprising clutch 29, and gear 21, this rotation being in the clockwise direction. However, since the relative sizes of gears 25 and 2'! are chosen to cause spool I, when driven through these gears, to tend to take in more of medium 9 than is released by spool 3, the rotation of gear 25 incident to the above action tends to be at a smaller angular velocity in the clockwise direction than the rotation of spool 3 due to the pulling action of medium 9. Consequently ratchet wheel 2| tends to rotate in the clockwise direction relative to gear 25 and pawl 23 engages to cause these units to move at a common angular velocity.

by spool 3. Thus by clockwise rotation of shaft 5, medium 9 is passed from spool I to spool 3 by.

means of gears I3 and I1 and a taut condition maintained by the slippage of clutch I9 andby counterclockwise rotation of shaft 5 medium 9 is passed from spool 3 to spool I by direct pulling through the medium and a taut condition maintained by the retarding action due to gears 25 and Z! and the slippage of clutch 29. Ina sim ilar-manner, clockwise rotation of shaft I causes medium 9 to be wound on spool I and counterclockwise rotation of shaft .1 causes medium 9 to be wound on spool 3.

The details of construction of clutches I9 and 29, together with further details of the other features of the apparatus of Figures 1, 2, and 3, may best be understood with reference to Figures 4 and 5 which show a part section taken through shaft 5 and an enlarged view of gear 21 and clutch 29 respectively. Key 3I coacts with spring 33 to cause rotation of spool I in accordance with rotation of shaft .5. The appearance of this key in the operating condition may be understood by reference to Figure 1 which shows a similar key 32 engaging spool 3 on shaft I. The key is moved in the upward direction to permit removal of th spool. Ratchet wheel II islikewise keyed to shaft 5 by key 35 as is member 31 of clutch 29. As best seen in Figure 5, gear 21 is adapted frictionally to engage members 39 of clutch 29, these members being placed on opposite sides of gear 21, Pressure is applied to these-members by means; of nut 4| which is in threaded engagement with the threaded portions 38 of member 31 I and which operates through collars 43 and 45, together with spring 4! and collar 49. The frictionalengagement be? Thus clutch 29 slips and produces torquetending to restrain release of medium 9 tween gear 21 and shaft' 5 is I varied byiad i'ustmerit" of 1mm I whichalters the axial forcebe tween -mem'ber' 3 9 "and-gear 21, thereby varying the 'frictional resistance "to rotation thereb'etween. 5

One of the features of this invention resides in the various methods of "driving the winding andreling mechanism. "I hus,-"for -'ext'impl'e, a reversible motor may be attached to shait' i and Spool I unwound by clockwise rotation of -this motor and wound by counterclockwise ro'ta'tion thereof. In the-case of clockwise rotation,- *sha-it I "tends 'to be driven through 'olutch 'i 9 at 21 greater velocity than the rotational velocity-e01- responding to-rlease of medium 39 bysp'ool I 7 thereby maintaining the medium "in'tautmon'dition between thetwospools. In the ca se' or terlockwise" rotation, rotation of shaft! is frictionally restrained by means of clutch"'29 -c'oacting with gears 2-5 'and-2 l,"-th'e'reby -tend'ing 'to' release Wiif-BQit a smaller rate than it is takenup by spool I and thus causing the wire to be maintained taut. Alternatively, shaft '1 may be driven by *a reversible motor, clockwise rotation o'f-the "shaft causing spool 3 to unwind and-spool l to Windand counterclockwise rotation causing'spoolitowind and'spool l to unwind.

Afurther feature of this inventionresides-in the fact that when the reeling *m'echanism is stopped there no'tendency ffbrthe unwind spool to continue rotation afterthe u'l inding "spool stops and thus cause -excessive-slack-'and possible tanglingpf medium '9. When the driving 'motor is attached to the unwind spool, "stoppingfthe motor prevents such rotation. Whenjthedther' 5 shaft-is driven, or the unwind spool isurivenby pulling the medium 9 therefrom, the intereon nection "of the "shafts '5 and '1 causes'"the"wind spool "to continue -rotation isolong "as the onwind spool -rotates, thereby taking-up anyofthe recording-medium thereby released. I

Figures '6, .7 "and "8 show an auemau eeonstruction of this invention" utilizing -'a belt drive and "ball type "overrunn'ing clutches. fIn tli'i's construction pulleys "5| and 53 aremounted "on shafts F5"and "lfin' place icf "gears l 3ian'd "ilj'l, respectively, and ball-type overruniiin'g clutch 5'5 connected between pu11ey1f51 :andhaft 5 sets to "cause "shaft "5 to drive pulley 5 I when rotated in the counterclockwise direction with respect th'er'eto. Belt "51 is mounted pn "pulleys i and 53 so' that' rotation of' pulley 5 l causes corresponding rotation of pulley 53 and 'rotation'pf "shaft 'lth'r'ough clutch "i9. Pulley"-5l ismadepf'larger diameter than pulley 53 to cause the" 'over'funnin'g action necessary to maintain' 'inedium ii in a 'tau't condition. "Ball-type -o"v'errunn'ing clutch 59 is "mountedon "shaft "1 and engages pulley 6 l to*'cause rotation thereofwhensha'f-t 1 ismoved in a clockwise direction relative to pulley 6|. 60

Pulley 6 3 is mounted on shaft-tandengages clutch 2 9 "to cause yielda'b'le rotation j'of' shaft 5. Bell; "55 is connected between pulley Bl 'f'aii'd pulley 63. Pulley 6| is made of larger diameter than pulley63 in order to" cause 'spool to takeup mbre"bf"medilim" 9 than is liliwoul'i'd'by SDOOI 3,""'the"reby maintaining "'rriedium 9 "ma taut 'condition, I V g The" ball-typeoverrunnin'g clutchesf'55' and "59, Figures 6;? an $8 are of;con entionaiednstrue tion and "include balls 451 (Figuresf6fa1idf'8) mounted between "members 69' --and-'-- membranes-sna u are=rotated" one relative to-eachothen the-*bal ls swi wider portion of theo enings provided in mem 7 medium S te-passthroughiiead" 19with'-*contr6l1e her 69; 1 However, opposite Y rotation or member 61- and- 69 causes the balls to Wedge hetwe'eri these' members and thus to cause frictional "ei iga gement therebe'tween. Hencethe clutch operatesin a manner similar to a ratchet wheelandjcaus'esengagementin-one direction only.

Operation of the embodiment'pf'iiiy inven- 7 tion shown in" Figures 6,- '7 and '8 'is' simil'ar to"th'e' opera-tion above describedwith-respect to mesmbo'dimentof Figures 1-to"5. when shaft" S -is 1'0"- tated in a 'eounterclockwise 'direction,- spoo1-'3 tends 'to be driven through pulleys 5| and-53 and clutch '19 ata =rate*exceeding-that corresponding to the-rate of unwinding from spool I "so as *to maintain medium 9 in a taut condition. --c'o'nversely, when shaft "5 is rotated in theclockwise direction, release of medium '9' from spool oDpOsed by the engagement through clutch 59 and pulleys BI and 63, thereby m-aintainin'g'me dium 9 ins, taut condition. Rotation pf'shaft 1 or pulling of the mediu'm 'S from-spool l produces similar "action as above described with reference to the embodiment of this invention 'shownin Figures 1 to 5.

"The use of belts *as shown in Fi'guresB to 8 per mits shafts 5- and 7 to "be "mounted a relatively great distance apart, a'feature that is desirable in'some applications of this invention. "However, since no reversal-of rotationnf shafts l'r and 1 accompanies the operation ofthe belt-"drive, the medium 9 is wound inopposite directions-on spools I ands as shown in Figure"? One method of applying the'windin'g andre'e-ling device of Figures 1 and '2' "to a' magnetie recorder, together *with an alternate method' of imparting motionto the medium, is "shown in Figure 9. As illustrated; medium 9 passes-from" spool 'I over pulley 13, through recording --or reproducin'ghe'ad 19, about capstan 1-5, and over pulley 11 to spool'3. Capstan 15 iscons'trudtei frictionally to engage mediumfl -so that rota-tion al'motion-of the capstan due to amotor or other device (not shown) imparts correspondinglinear velocity "to the medium 9. If this velocity-is in direction to unwind spool "I th'at spool rotates the clockwise direction as seen in Figure- 1.

. Ratchet-wheel l l is thus 'rotated in 'the'clockwise I direction relative to gear, l3 and pawl 15 and"ac-- cordingly engages to tend to-drivespool 3"thi'ough gears -"l 3an'd "H-andclutch l9 ata'rate' totake in more ofunedium 9 than is released by spool -I. Clutch P9 "accordingly slips and maintains the medium- Q't'aut. 'If the'velocityimparted-tome dium 9 by-capstan 15 is in direction to unwind spool- 3, a similar-"efiec't takes place-as spool -l driven in *the' wind "direction through c'luth' 2'9 and-medium 9' maintained taut by 's'lipp'ag'e 'oi tiiat device.

" 'Fi'g llle 9811 86 Sh'O'WS the manner of applyingmy invention to -a magnetic recording 'orre'pro'ducing device. 1 As s-hown I in the fi-gure, m'e'dium 8 pass es" through recording or :reproducing head '19 is electrically connected --to'recorder or repredue'er' im. husjin the recording operation, device an 10 I -ma-y,' for examplepiiicludeaniicrophone' and amplifier) causes'variations in the intensity jof -"the current "flow through head and thereby varies iii/ith time "the" magnetiiat imparted"to medium -9. ca stan causes-the;

linear "velocity; correspondirrg "longitudina in' th-e "magnetization pr "duceh'.

amplified and reproducedby recorder and reproducer-80 (which may this case be connected toamplifythevoltages and apply the resultant signals to 'a loudspeaker or similar device to reproduce sound).

It will be apparent that while I have described myinvention with respect to a single drive system operating on shafts or I or independently imparting linear velocity to medium 9, separate drives operating on these different elements may be used if desired. Thus, shaft 5 maybe driven in one direction and one velocity to accomplish winding from spool l tospool 3 and shaft 1 maybe driven in the same directionv at another velocity to accomplish the reverse process. In this fashion the rewind operation can be made to take place at a different rate without requiring complex reversible twospeed driving systems. V

In one method of visualizing the operation of my invention, the interconnections between the spools may be considered to tend to drive the spools in the take-up direction relative to each other irrespective of direction or velocity of motion. Thus no matter how fast one spool releases the medium, the other spool is attempting to wind it in at a greater rate. Consequently the medium is maintained taut regardless of directo those skilled in the art.

shafts, whereby rotation of oneof said shafts in a given direction causes rotation of the other drive shaft through said speed-amplifying means and thereby tends to rotate said other shaft at a higher angular velocity than the first namedshaft.

3. In a winding and reeling mechanism, a firstspool, a second spool, a drive shaft connected to each of said spools, a pawl and ratchet assembly engageable with each of said shafts, means for driving one of said drive shafts, anda pair of speed-amplifying, torque-transmitting means interconnecting said shafts, one of said speed-amplifying means being operable upon engagement of one of said pawl and ratchet assemblies, whereby rotation of one of said shafts in a given direction causes rotation of the other drive shaft through said speed-amplifying means and thereby tends to rotate said other shaft at a higher angular velocity than the first named shaft.

4. In a winding and reeling mechanism, a first spool, a second spool, a. drive shaft connected to each of said spools, a pair of pawl and ratchet assemblies, one of said pawl and ratchet assemblies being engageable withone of said shafts,

1 means for driving one of said drive shafts, a pair tion or velocity of motion or the source of energy imparting the motion to the medium. I am thereby enabled to provide a winding and reeling mechanism having an unusual degree of flexibility and a correspondingly large number of practical applications.

In the accompanying claims I have used the term spool" to designate broadly a reel, guide wheel, or other device capable of supporting the medium.

While I have. shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be of course understood that I do not wish to 'be limited thereto since many modificationsin the elements disclosed and their cooperative arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit. and scope of .my invention. r I Y a I claim as myinvention: 1. In a winding and reeling mechanism, a first spool,;a second spool, a drive shaft connected to each of said spoolsya pair of one-way drive means, each of said one-way drive means being engageable with one of said shafts, means for driving one ofsaid drive shafts, and a plurality of speed-amplifying, torque-transmitting means interconnecting said shafts, one of said speedamplifying means being operable upon engagement of one of said one-way drive means, whereby rotation of one of said shafts in a givenedirection causes rotation of the other of said shafts through, said speed-amplifying means and thereby tends to rotate said other shaft at a higher angular velocity than the first named shaft. 7

2. In a winding and reeling mechanism, a first spool, a, second spool, a drive shaft connected to eachof said spools, a pair of one-way drive means I 7 one of said one-way drive means being engageable with one of said shafts, means for driving one 'of said drive shafts, and a speedfamplifying means being operable upon engagement upon one of said one-way drive means, and a, slipping friction clutchon each of said of speed-amplifying, torque-transmitting means interconnecting said shafts, one of said speedamplifying means being operable upon engagement of one of said pawl and ratchet assemblies, and a slipping friction clutch on each of said shafts, whereby rotation of one of said shafts in a given direction causes rotation of the other drive shaft through said speed-amplifying means and thereby tends to rotate said other shaft at a higher angular velocity than the first named shaft.

5. In a winding and reeling mechanism, a first spool, asecond spool, a drive shaft 'connected'to eachof said spools, a pawl and ratchet assembly, engageable with each of said shafts, a pair of step-up gear trains interconnecting said shafts, one of said gear trains being operable upon engagement of one of said pawl and ratchet assemblies, whereby rotation of one of said shafts in a given direction causes rotation of the other drive shaft through said step-up gear train and,

thereby tends to rotate said other shaft at a higher, angular'velocity than the first named shaft.

6. Ina winding and reeling mechanism, a first spool, 21. second spool, a drive shaft connected to, each of said spools, a pawl and ratchet assembly engageable with each of said shafts, a pair of step-up gear trains interconnecting said shafts, one of said gear trains being operable upon engagement of one of said pawl and ratchet assemblies, and a slipping friction clutch on each of said shafts, whereby rotation of one of said shafts in a given direction causes rotation of the other drive shaft through said gear train and each of said spools, a pair of one-way drive means engageable with each of said shafts, means for driving one of said drive shafts, and a pair of pulley wheels of different diameters oneach of said shafts, a pair of belts interconnecting the larger diameter pulley wheel on oneshaft' with the smaller, diameter pulley wheel on the other shaft, one pair of interconnected pulley wheels being operable upon engagement of said na,

way drive means to drive one shaft from the other, whereby rotation of one of said shafts in a given direction causes rotation of the other drive shaft through said interconnected pulleys, and thereby tends to rotate said other shaft at a higher angular velocity than the first named shaft.

RAYMOND E. ZENNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of-this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Number Name Date Goldberg Aug. 30, 1932 Woodmansee et a1. Apr. 27, 1937 Fairbanks May 18, 1937 Camras Apr. 8, 1947 Marsen Dec. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria Jan. 10, 1916 Germany May 15, 1934 Great Britain June 20, 1929 Germany Jan. 24, 1925 Germany Feb. 15, 1947 

